Larimer County Jail Population & Capacity

The Larimer County Jail (LCJ) (formerly the Larimer County Detention Center) is operated by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. The LCJ holds prisoners for all law enforcement agencies in Larimer County. In addition to the Sheriff's Office, these agencies include Fort Collins Police Services, Loveland Police Department, Estes Park Police Department, Berthoud Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, and Colorado State University Police Department. The portion of Windsor located in Larimer County is also serviced by the LCJ.

Since opening in 1983, the LCJ has experienced tremendous growth in inmate population. The average daily inmate population in 1983 was 105, but by 1995 the daily average had increased 134% to 246 inmates. Recognizing the need for larger facilities, Larimer County voters approved a sales tax increase in 1997 to fund an expansion of the LCJ. This expansion, along with the use of cell double-bunking, has allowed the facility's total capacity to reach its current level of 557 beds.

While the stated current total capacity of 557 beds for adult inmates might indicate that the LCJ is below capacity, use of a lower total capacity figure is more accurate when considering available capacity.

After allowing for an adjustment to address for both "peaking" and "classification" factors, an average daily population capacity of 80% of the 557 beds, or 446 would be a more accurate reflection of the LCJ capacity. "Peaking" and "classification" factors address the facility's need to leave a specific percentage of beds available for peak times (i.e., spikes in population) and for classification purposes (i.e., separate housing locations for special needs inmates, high risk inmates, juvenile inmates and males/ females). Opportunities to further increase the capacity of the current facility via additional double-bunking are limited.

What this chart shows: Average Daily Population by Month - Larimer County Jail, 2012

What the above data tell us:

In March 2001, the Larimer County Jail (formerly the Larimer County Detention Center) expanded from 309 beds to its current capacity of 557 beds. In the first quarter of 2009, the Jail was capped at 460 inmates due to inadequate funding for additional staff.

In 2011, Larimer County developed an improved system for tracking Average Daily Population to better match the target capacity of 460. This system captures current information and sends updates to administrators on a regular basis. The goal is to allow the Jail to operate more efficiently.

Average Daily Population (ADP) was below the target of 460 for all but four months in 2012. When considering annual averages, ADP remained below the target, averaging 453 inmates per day in 2012.

What this chart shows: Inmate Population by Jail Status - Larimer County Jail, 2012

What the above data tell us:

Based on a monthly average, there were 167 inmates, or 36.9% of inmate population, serving a jail sentence. Inmates were more likely to be awaiting a sentencing hearing (51.2% on pretrial status), than any other status. Of the total population, 11.9% had a 'Hold' placed by some criminal justice agency, such as the Department of Corrections or Probation. 'Hold' status typically means that the inmate has violated a term of supervision and is awaiting disciplinary action, such as a parole hold, or that the inmate is being held in custody while awaiting bed space in another residential facility, such as the Larimer County Community Corrections program.

What this chart shows: Inmate Bookings by Age - Larimer County Jail, 2012

What the above data tell us:

Inmates age 25 years or younger made up 34.6% of the total jail bookings. Inmates age 26 to 40 (42.3%) were more than twice as prevalent as those age 41 to 55 (19.2%). Inmates age 56 and above made up 3.9% of the inmate population.

What this chart shows: Inmate Bookings by Race/Ethnicity - Larimer County Jail, 2012